Data Published in Current Opinion in Lipidology Suggest Anti-Inflammatory Role for Oxidized Phospholipid Analogs, includin

TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- VBL Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to the development of novel treatments for immune-inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced the publication of a new concept in the Current Opinion in Lipidology evaluating oxidized phospholipid analogs as potential treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases. Researchers conclude that VB-201, the lead compound in a new class of drug candidates developed by VBL called Lecinoxoids, serves as proof of concept that anti-inflammatory phospholipids may offer a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of immune-mediated disorders. The article appears in the December 2010 issue of the Current Opinion in Lipidology.

“For the first time, this paper reviews the entire canon of research on the inflammatory properties of oxidized phospholipids and allows us to conclude that oxidized phospholipid analogs have tremendous therapeutic potential in treating immune-mediated diseases, including psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis,” said Professor Dror Harats, M.D., chief executive officer of VBL and lead author of the paper. “We are pleased to see these findings published, as they validate our novel approach to treat these challenging diseases by pioneering a new class of medicines. Our lead compound VB-201, an oral drug exhibiting excellent bioavailability and long half-life, is currently in a Phase II clinical trial to treat psoriasis, and has also demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and atherosclerosis.”

The researchers reviewed the current literature on inflammatory properties of oxidized phospholipids and found that while they have long been known to play an active role in the progression of inflammatory diseases; recent studies also show that oxidized phospholipids demonstrate unique anti-inflammatory properties. The research describes the differential effects of oxidized phospholipids and the way in which they can act as mediators of inflammation. These findings support the development of phospholipid analogs as potential treatment options for chronic inflammatory diseases.

About VB-201

VB-201 is the first in a new class of drugs and the lead candidate of several proprietary phospholipid analogs from VBL’s proprietary Lecinoxoid family that were designed to be orally available, anti-inflammatory medicines. VB-201 is believed to act by inhibiting the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-12/23p40 by dendritic cells and macrophages. VB-201 acts as a counterbalance to the pro-inflammatory immune system activity that occurs in chronic disorders without significantly affecting system-wide immune factors, and is well positioned to work either as a standalone or a combined therapy.

VB-201 has successfully completed four Phase 1 clinical trials involving 120 healthy subjects under a U.S. investigational new drug (IND) application. These Phase 1 trials demonstrated that VB-201 was well tolerated with a favorable safety profile. Preclinical studies indicate that VB-201 has significant potential to treat inflammation in chronic diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and also suggest VB-201 could bring about regression of atherosclerosis. VB-201 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 efficacy and safety study for the treatment of patients with psoriasis.

About VBL Therapeutics

VBL Therapeutics is an innovative, clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to the development of novel treatments for immune-inflammatory diseases and cancer. VBL has pioneered the Lecinoxoid class of oral anti-inflammatory agents. VB-201 is the company’s lead candidate from this program, currently in Phase 2 clinical development in patients with psoriasis. In addition, VBL has a proprietary Vascular Targeting System (VTS™) technology platform that has yielded VB-111, the first dual-action, anti-angiogenic and vascular disruptive agent (VDA) for cancer, which is expected to enter Phase 2 clinical trials in 2010. The company is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. VBL has 62 granted patents and more than 115 patents pending. For more information on the company, please visit www.vblrx.com.



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